The Lion's Roar

Principal's Weekly Newsletter-December 9-13

A Message from Principal DW

Good morning, McKinley Families,

This morning as I was adding our photos of the week to this edition of the Lion's Roar, I found myself reflecting on how our community truly embodies the spirit of continuous improvement. In education, this concept refers to an ongoing process of learning, self-reflection, adaptation, and growth—one that unfolds progressively, without a fixed endpoint. It’s about making a professional and organizational commitment to steady, incremental changes that, over time, transform multiple dimensions of a school. This idea feels deeply resonant with the work happening across McKinley—each day, we take intentional steps forward, learning and growing together to better serve our students.

On the facilities front, we reached an exciting milestone with the pouring of the concrete foundation for our new Classroom and Administration Building. Watching the work unfold this week filled me with excitement for the possibilities ahead. Soon, the steel frame will begin to rise, giving us a tangible glimpse of the bright future we’re building for our students. This project is more than a construction effort; it shows our commitment to providing the best environment for learning, collaboration, and growth.

Meanwhile, inside our classrooms, teachers have been engaging in thoughtful reflection and collaboration to continuously improve their practice. This week, much of their focus has been on supporting students through meaningful work in number sense routines mathematics and project-based learning. They’ve been diving into ways to make learning more engaging, relevant, and inclusive for all students.

Our families are learning too! Thank you to those who attend our parent workshop on supporting children with homework, which offered practical strategies to decreasing the stress of homework and converting it into an opportunity to connect with your child.

Continuous improvement isn’t about chasing perfection; it’s about thoughtful, consistent steps forward, guided by a shared vision. I'm glad you're on this journey with us!

In partnership,

Dr. Daniela Wiener (Dr. DW)
Principal, McKinley Elementary School

Photos of the Week

This week in Project Based Learning Workshop, our students rolled up their sleeves and dove into woodworking, learning to use tools like a cordless drill and a pull saw! Guided by MakerSpace artists, they explored the engineering design process while applying math concepts such as measurement and geometry to accurately cut and assemble their projects.

On Wednesday morning, our School Counselor Sarah De Santis and Bilingual Community Liaison Michael Muñoz led a Parent Workshop on Supporting Your Child with Homework, sharing tips on routines, independence, and positivity. Missed it? Workshop materials are available below.

Supporting Your Child with Homework Presentation

On Wednesday, during banked time, our teachers completed the first in a six-part series of professional development sessions with our Coordinator of Innovation and Learning and Instructional Coach on the Gold Standard Approach to Project Based Learning.

On Thursday, our teachers participated in a Lab Sites with Berkeley Everett of the UCLA Math Project on Number Sense Routines. Number sense routines are 10 minute activities that help students develop number sense and become better problem solvers. This was the second of three lab sites with Berkeley and teachers explored the "Same or Different" routine, using comparison and contrast to deepen students' understanding of math concepts.

On Thursday, while teachers were learning, our 4th grade students were performing during their Winter Music Informances.

December 2-6 was Inclusive Schools Week. Our school psychologist, Ms. Rosas provided inclusion tips for staff and pushed into classrooms to teach about inclusion and neurodiversity. Here she is reading students The Brain Forest.

Our incredible instructional assistant, Ms. Elena has been supervising the garden during lunch time and our students have been spending their recess time gardening. It's amazing to see how much our kids love weeding, watering and building!

Construction Update

What an exciting week at McKinley! The concrete was poured for our new Classroom and Administration Building, marking another significant milestone in this incredible project. It’s so exciting to see our campus transformation take shape!

Stay tuned, because the next phase is just around the corner—soon, we’ll watch as the steel frame rises, giving us a glimpse of the structure that will support innovative learning for years to come. Thank you for your patience and support as we continue building a future for our students and community!

Week of 12/2-12/6 Construction Update

Safety First at Drop-Off

At McKinley, we pride ourselves on being a strong, connected community that works together for the well-being of every child. One way we demonstrate this is by ensuring the safety of our students and families during drop-off.

We’ve noticed an increase in U-turns on Arizona Avenue during morning drop-off. Please remember that U-turns in this area are not only illegal but also incredibly unsafe. They put our students, families, and neighbors at risk. Likewise, we ask everyone to use the designated crosswalks when crossing the street. This ensures that drivers can anticipate pedestrians and helps keep everyone safe.

Let’s model the behavior we want our children to learn—patience, respect, and care for one another. Together, we can create a drop-off routine that reflects the values of our McKinley community. Thank you for doing your part to keep mornings smooth and safe for everyone!

Jog A Thon T-Shirt Contest

McKinley's Gift Wish List

Airport Conversion Community Event - TODAY!!!

Want to see how the community’s feedback crafted the Draft Guiding Principles for the Airport Conversion Project? Then come this Saturday at Memorial Park Gym is the Phase 2 Community Event for the Project! Come join and provide your feedback on the Draft Guiding Principles, crafted from Phase 1 input, Survey 2A, and the Community Conversations. You can stop by any time during 1pm – 4pm for a variety of activities to fit your schedule.

The event will feature:

Open house-style exhibits for you to explore and provide your feedback on at your leisure.
Three engaging activities designed to gather your input on potential future site uses, trade-offs, the scale of uses, and future site aesthetics (each will take approximately 5-20 minutes to complete).
A Teen Forum and kid activities. Please feel free to bring your children!
Refreshments will be available.

Bring your friends and neighbors!

Parent and Caregiver Workshop - Building Connections - 12/11

Wednesday Snack Sales - 12/11

Come help out with Snack Sales! It's fun! Your child can help sell too! Arrive by 1:00 PM and meet up outside the parent room, located to the left of the 1st-grade classrooms. We’ll set up a table with delicious snacks, including popcorn and drinks. The sale ends promptly at 2:00 PM, and we’ll clean up quickly after. Click here to sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050A4FADAF28AAFE3-52304166-wednesday#/